The Alan Turing Institute, the national institute for data science and artificial intelligence (AI), has today (Tuesday, 21 March 2023) launched a ground-breaking Turing Research and Innovation Cluster (TRIC) focusing on digital twins.
The TRIC-DT was announced as a pivotal part of AI UK, the national AI showcase, and aims to democratise access to emerging digital twin technology by providing open and reproducible computational and social tools for digital twin development and deployment as a national service.
A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical process or system that is dynamically updated using data collected from real-time monitoring of its physical counterpart. Globally, digital twin technology is proving to be a powerful tool in a range of areas, and their rapid development and deployment is helping to address real-world problems.
Since its inception in 2015, the Turing has established one of the largest concentrations of digital twins research and innovation in the UK, in areas from aerospace and civil engineering to urban modelling and agricultural monitoring. Working alongside a range of partners the Turing is developing twins that are informed by the latest thinking in AI, with the aim of addressing important societal challenges and generating tangible, real-world benefits.
Digital twins are a strategic priority for the Institute and an area of research and innovation strength. Through ongoing work within the Data-Centric Engineering, Urban Analytics and AI for Science and Government (ASG) programmes, and the Environment and Sustainability interest group, The Turing has established one of the most dynamic portfolios of DT research in the UK – supported by a total investment of more than £26m.
The TRIC-DT will support the creation of specialised expertise and new computational digital twin infrastructure, unlocking barriers that previously hindered their use.
Speaking at AI UK, Mark Girolami, Chief Scientist at The Alan Turing Institute, said “The TRIC-DT will help to democratise access to digital twin technology by providing open and reproducible computational and social tools. These tools will be available for digital twin development and deployment as a national service – freely accessible to the UK research and innovation communities. Working alongside a range of partners, the creation our first TRIC will build on the wealth of digital twin activity and investment.”
''NATS is delighted to be working with the Turing on Project Bluebird, creating a digital twin of UK airspace and exploring the use of AI in air traffic control. The TRIC-DT is a great opportunity for us to share our learnings and working practices, and we look forward to seeing the output this creates for future UK Research and Innovation communities.'' Richard Cannon, Principal Research Engineer, NATS
The TRIC-DT will pull on both the Turing’s existing multidisciplinary academic expertise, established research engineer and community science capability, as well as on development partners across the UK.
The Turing intends to establish knowledge exchange between a central impact hub and a network of collaborators across the academic and private sectors. Research activity will be anchored on a set of societally-important challenges.
The TRIC-DT will work closely with partner organisations and will explicitly focus on solving significant societal challenges and generating tangible societal benefits in:
- Environment and sustainability: predicting and mitigating the negative impacts of climate change
- Infrastructure: enhancing the efficiency and resilience of critical infrastructure
- Health: improving human health and wellbeing
These areas map onto those of the Institute more broadly, as well as aligning with the national priority areas. The TRIC-DT, has already successfully appointed an energetic team of some of the UK’s outstanding leaders in this field, including five co-directors:
- John Siddorn Associate Director (Digital Ocean, National Oceanography Centre)
- Kirstine Dale (the Met Office's Principal Fellow for Data Science and Co-Director of the University of Exeter and Met Office’s Joint Centre for Excellence in Environmental Intelligence)
- David Wagg (Professor of Nonlinear Dynamics, University of Sheffield)
- Keith Worden (Professor of Engineering, University of Sheffield), and
- Steven Niederer (Professor of Biomedical Engineering at King's College London)
For further information visit www.turing.ac.uk/tricdigitaltwins
